Tata Steel, in partnership with German energy storage startup Kraftblock GmbH, is nearing one year of stable operations of a thermal energy storage system installed at Sinter Plant #3 (SP3) at its Jamshedpur Works.
The system captures high-temperature waste heat generated during the sintering process, heat that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere, stores it, and reuses it to warm process water required for sintering. The initiative has helped reduce fuel consumption, improve process efficiency and cut carbon emissions by approximately 22,000 tons of CO2 annually.
Sintering involves the thermal agglomeration of iron ore fines into larger lumps suitable for use in blast furnace ironmaking.
The pilot project, launched a year ago, has delivered consistent performance and marks a practical step in Tata Steel’s decarbonization strategy.
Following the successful implementation at SP3, Tata Steel is evaluating further deployment across other high-temperature processes. The collaboration was executed under TomorrowLAB, the company’s startup engagement programme focused on scaling innovative solutions to improve sustainability and operational efficiency.
Tata Steel group is among the top global steel companies with an annual crude steel capacity of 35 mln tons per annum.
